Oakland Remains a City of Homicides

How do you evaluate the 2007 homicide count for Oakland?

If you follow the current mayor and city councilmembers, you take heart that the count is 15 percent fewer than the 2006 tally.

If you are any other Oakland resident, you know that homicides fluctuate, but the general level of killing in Oakland is five to six times what it is in New York City (400,000 Oakland residents / 8.2 million NYC residents times NYC's 492 homicides for 2007 = 24).

Meanwhile, the robberies, burglaries, and vehicle thefts and smash-ins continue. According to unofficial numbers, people in Oakland suffered 30,010 serious crimes in 2007, up from 29,777 in 2006. Oakland is guaranteed to remain one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.